💌 487. Is she a “Second” or a Mixed-race lady?

Although the house we were living in and my beauty parlor were attached to each other, my children were not seen at all from the sight of customers, thus strange rumors came to circulate. I was told that my customers were whispering behind my back. “Is she a second woman? (married man's concubine)” One day, a woman was chatting among themselves miming raising her little finger. Not even knowing what the meaning of the “second” was, I held up my little finger to the hairdresser and questioned, “What does this mean?”

Then she pointed to my pinky finger and said, "It means the second." Still I had no idea of the meaning of the word itself. So, I asked, "What does the second mean?" The hairdresser burst into laughter and said, "Sis, you really do not know what it means? Oh my goodness, you are so naive." As it turned out, I was told that the pinky finger and ‘second' as well, were all vulgar terms for an adulteress or concubine.

Since I had my mother but not my father, they whispered between themselves, saying that I looked exotic. "Certainly, that lady does not seem purely native Korean because she has gorgeous and distinctively exotic facial features with big eyes, a high nose, a white face and her body is completely glamorous.”

"I think she is probably a mixed-race child born to an American father and her Korean mother. Did the American soldier have a relationship with her mother during the war, impregnate her, and then abandon the child and mother to go back to his country?” Since people kept whispering behind me, the hairdressers eventually asked me about it. “I am a pure Korean because both my father and mother are Koreans.” I said with a smile.

However, considering it was my fault that made them judge negatively and say unnecessary words because of me, I asked God to forgive me and went to confession. The priest chuckled and said, “You do not have to make confession of such things.” I answered, “Because I, looking young, was present, it caused people to commit a sin of being judgmental.”

“It is their fault because they made rash judgments with no grounds. Why is that Julia's fault?” “Father, I want to cleanly enshrine the Lord within me without any flaw, blemish or crease. That is why I think even this sort of thing is all my fault. Please show your mercy to me as I desire to receive the Lord in a clean state. Please understand this heart of mine and forgive me even if I request you the Sacrament of Confession frequently, and also order penances for me, will you not?”

The priest said, “Well, I see. It is your own spirituality. If you really want to do penance like that, pray the Holy Rosary devoutly.” I prayed the Rosary when I had time from work in the midst of my busy life and offered my penance. I also ceaselessly turned my daily life into prayers for those who had judged without the right understanding of others, with the intentions that they would know of God so as to live a new life of resurrection without being easily judgmental or engaging in gossip.

Whatever kind of misunderstanding I received from others, living the life of Semchigo for everything from day to day made me simply so glad. The blossoms of smile that filled my face never withered, as I had been raised from death, born anew in God's love. No matter what anyone did to me, I offered it up with Semchigo as if I was loved by Jesus and the Blessed Mother through them, attended the daily Mass to meet Jesus without even omitting a single day, carried out my daily duty with the strength given by the Eucharistic Jesus. So there was not even a single thing that I was not happy with.

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👉🏻

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